Microsoft Behind Recent Wikileaks & Cryptome Closings?

Alright guys so here's the deal, Cryptome has been shut down after it released a document by Microsoft. Obviously it wasn't meant to be seen by the public. It's called the Global Criminal Compliance Handbook.

You can try to access it at

www.__._

as the latest leak but for me it doesn't work (and others).

So obviously in this case, Microsoft is clearly to blame for shutting down Cryptome.

Now in the case of Wikileaks, I had come across something very interesting just before it was shut down. It's called COFEE.

mirror.wikileaks.info...


This is a M$ program intended only for law enforcement officials, not for sale/public use. Wikileaks was shut down a couple of months after it was leaked. Note it is found on a mirror not the site itself.

Could Microsoft be responsible for both sites forcing to shut down? Are they the X factor in all of this?

Another thing I would like to find out is the contents of the 'Handbook.' This is the description given by wikileaks.

** Microsoft's "Global Criminal Compliance Handsbook", a confidential 22 page booklet designed for police and intelligence services. **

Sounds pretty similar to what COFEE can do (go through computers to find the good stuff the law is looking for, or deleting something permanently off your computer without a trace, etc.) Is there any mention, if you can get a hold of the Handbook, of COFEE, or law enforcement, or security of any sort?

Thanks guys. Keep your eyes open.

EDIT: OK. Here is the handbook!

files.meetup.com...

I'll tell you what. Nothing special. Which begs me to ask, Why is this handbook so special that M$ shuts down Cryptome and that wikileaks defends it by putting it up themselves. Wikileaks is probably in the process of getting shut down again right now.

Another thing. Why does wikileaks say that it pertains to police and intelligence services?

All in all, Microsoft is the one closing down these sites. COFEE probably got wikileaks closed down originally and now Crpytome got shut down.

[edit on 25-2-2010 by Portugoal]

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reply to post by Portugoal


I don't think we should post the handbook or links to it here yet. I have it and posted links. They took it down for good reason. If they tell me I can I will post them both, but until then I don't think I or anybody should do anything to harm this website we all love.

reply to post by devildogUSMC


As you can see, my link is broken anyways. It doesn't allow me to post links, and others had problems with it too. But I'll get a mod ASAP.

reply to post by Portugoal


If it won't hurt this site it will be here eventually. If not it will get out in other ways. People have it and will post it. I have it and I barely know a thing about computers.

One of the ATS mods ("MemoryShock") sent me this message:

The thread was moved to the "Really Above Top Secret" forum...which requires a point purchase for access (it's a forum that google doesn't/can't index).

Access can be 'purchased' at the ATS Store...which you can get to by clicking on the "member tools" tab at the topish of the screen.

I tried to get in but it requires 5000 points like WTF!
Lame!

Everything in life has a cost, or at least it seems that way!

reply to post by JahKinG SouLJaH


Why would they both insist on posting it even though they both knew it would get them shut down. Cryptome was given an ultimatum as I understand it and still kept it posted. Wikileaks made more of an effort after cryptome shutdown to keep it up even longer while knowing of what happened to cryptome. They both felt it was important info to get out. That looks obvious.

I got the go-ahead from MemoryShock to also post the links. So we should be in the clear.

Originally posted by devildogUSMC
reply to post by JahKinG SouLJaH

 

Why would they both insist on posting it even though they both knew it would get them shut down. Cryptome was given an ultimatum as I understand it and still kept it posted. Wikileaks made more of an effort after cryptome shutdown to keep it up even longer while knowing of what happened to cryptome. They both felt it was important info to get out. That looks obvious.

Very well said. Obviously, something is in that Handbook, more than just security procedures for XBOX live and hotmail.

reply to post by Portugoal


Are you posting them or do you want me to. If I have to,please have memoryshock U2U me and let me know. I hope you take no offense.

Just to be clear, posting links should be fine for now. The issue of concern would be having the documents uploaded to the site. So please refrain from uploading the actual docs to MATS and posting the images here.

Thanks...

files.meetup.com...

*cough*

/hides

file....__._/files/microsoft-spy.pdf

Everyone who wants this piece of software should
take a look on torrent-websites.
Directly available it's also on the usenet (-binarys) , but normaly
you need an (paid) account there to download something.

This is definetly wrong. Something's really fishy here.

Microsoft can close sites down when it wants.

Cryptome was given warning before it was shut down yet still kept the Handbook up. It HAS to be important for Cryptome to keep it up and take that risk. Then wikileaks defends Cryptome and also puts it up. I honestly would not be suprised if Wikileaks is shut down again soon. Wikileaks also leaked something at the end of 2009 called COFEE that is a a program designed for law enforcement ONLY! A month later they were shut down. Wikileaks now says the Handbook was designed for police and intelligence services. Are they linked at all? By reading the handbook no. But wikileaks seems to suggest they have the same topic matter.

Originally posted by Portugoal
EDIT: OK. Here is the handbook!

I'll tell you what. Nothing special. Which begs me to ask, Why is this handbook so special that M$ shuts down Cryptome and that wikileaks defends it by putting it up themselves. Wikileaks is probably in the process of getting shut down again right now.

I agree it's nothing special, other than the statement about confidential for law enforcement use only printed at the bottom. But I don't really see what the big deal is, it shows they keep records of people's online activities on MSN, hotmail, etc so who would be surprised by that? And who would be surprised that law enforcement can access it? Before the patriot act, they probably needed a search warrant, but the patriot act sort of made that requirement a rubber stamp, they can access it now and go ask for the search warrant later. To me that's the real issue, but nothing in the handbook seems the least surprising to me.

Well microsoft by itself doesn't have the ability to shut down a site, does it? I mean, wouldn't it take an action by the entity or business hosting the site? Would the site host shut it down just because Microsoft sent them a letter asking them to? Or wouldn't it take a court order? The answer to that may depend on the ISP and how threatened they felt by Microsoft's letter.

[edit on 25-2-2010 by Arbitrageur]

Sigh...

Read the story for yourselves..

New Crytpome!

Basically it just a copyright whine and Network Solutions locked the Domain Name in response to MS's complaint.

Irritating but not unusual.

If you read the 'confidential' report it's actually a good thing.
Effectively MS says that law enforcement ain't getting squat without a warrant and even then they may not be able to comply since they don't store half as much as tin-foil hatters think.

Cofee on the other hand is pretty worthless and represents the kind of tonka toy tool kit that you'd give to someone with no real knowledge of system forensics.

(I'd say trying to keep that one quiet is more a case of embarrassment than anything else)

Absence.

reply to post by Absence of Self
Thanks for that story link, so it's basically just a DMCA violation, it could have been a piece of copyrighted music to get the same treatment.

OK, no big surprise there.

Ye it's a copyright infringment. But Cyrptome was warned and kept it up anyway. What's so important that Cryptome would risk getting shut down over it? And then wikileaks, knowing that Cryptome was just shut down, posts it. It seems like a useless handbook but wikileaks and Cryptome defend it as important enough to get shut down over. And M$, not anyother company that has had things leaked on both sites, is the company getting these great sites shut down. That is the problem.

Does no one care that these two important sources of information are being shut down and M$ (who everyone seems to hate) is behind it?

Information is power and Cryptome and Wikileaks are equalizers for average citizens. As a channel for whistle-blowers, they provide us with information (power) we would otherwise not have access to and so they face an onslaught of challenges from both fronts - corporations and government.

In addition to this, we log onto our computers everyday and go about our business in what seems like harmless ways for many of us. We have ISPs that allow us to access information but at a hidden cost - our digital contacts are never private, in fact, is a gold mine of information (power). We are told that our history is only shared with law enforcement under certain conditions - which may or may not be true - and most certainly law enforcement is looking for more and more unrestricted access.

To me, it's just more evidence of the merge between big business and big government.

www.wired.com...

Microsoft has managed to do what a roomful of secretive, three-letter government agencies have wanted to do for years: get the whistleblowing, government-document sharing site Cryptome shut down.

Microsoft dropped a DMCA notice alleging copyright infringement on Cryptome’s proprietor John Young on Tuesday after he posted a Microsoft surveillance compliance document that the company gives to law enforcement agents seeking information on Microsoft users. Young filed a counterclaim on Wednesday — arguing he had a fair use to publishing the document, a full day before the Thursday deadline set by his hosting provider, Network Solutions.

Regardless, Cryptome was shut down by Network Solutions and its domain name locked on Wednesday — shuttering a site that thumbed its nose at the government since 1996 — posting thousands of documents that the feds would prefer never saw the light of day…

The compliance handbook is just the latest in a series of leaks of similar documents from other companies. Yahoo, like Microsoft, reacted as if its secret sauce had somehow been spilled by letting curious users know the hows and whys of how the companies deal with lawful surveillance requests. Google, for all its crusading for internet freedom, refuses to say how often law enforcement comes searching for user data…

But hypocrisy is the name of the game for giant internet companies like Yahoo, Microsoft and Google that want us to entrust large portions of our lives to Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Buzz, Xbox, Hotmail, Messenger, Google Groups. When it comes to the most basic information about how, why and how often our data is subpoenaed and collected without our knowledge, these online innovators resort to lawyers, abusive legal process and double-talk.

reply to post by kosmicjack


Of course information is power. But I'm sure anyone interested in knowing that M$ and anyother company held information on every person would already know that they did this. Of course they do this, that isn't the suprise. The suprise is the willingness by both sites defending it for more than it is, like there is something hidden or secret.

Even MSM has reported on this topic (I watched a CNBC doceumentary on Google and how they keep records on every user). So that isn't the shocking part. What information does this hold that gives people power? To know what information is kept? People could have already guessed what is kept.

And why does Wikileaks say the Handbook was designed for police and intelligence services when it looks more like a in-house thing. Obviously Wikileaks and Cryptome, two sites risking shut down, think it's important. I mean if it were a memo from the President saying the U.S was invading Canada, that's something worth risking the site over. But what appears to be a useless handbook?